K9 Spotlight: Julie & Kilo

Sep 13th 2024

Julie & Kilo
Firefighter Paramedic

I rescued Kilo from a local shelter when he was just 8 weeks old. He was initially trained as my service dog, but after seeing how much he loved interacting with crews at the fire station and how much happiness and stress relief he provided, I decided to train him as a first responder therapy dog.

As of May 2024, Kilo has received the AKC Good Citizen, Advanced Good Citizen, and Urban Good Citizen certificates. He is also a certified therapy dog with ATD, has completed the AACR (Animal-Assisted Crisis Response) program, and is a certified and vetted Peer Crisis Response K9. Kilo and I are deployable nationally through the IAFF to assist departments after tragedies and are also deployable by the Florida Fire Marshal during states of emergency to assist first responders. We are also part of my department's Peer Support team.

Since May, we have been deployed five times throughout Florida, and while it’s heartbreaking for those affected, it has been amazing to see him bring joy and provide K9 therapy. We also visit a local first responder rehab center as often as possible to share our story and let Kilo spread some happiness. We are currently working on learning advanced, task-oriented therapy K9 skills, and I can’t wait to see how he continues to grow as a Crisis Response K9.

I am so proud of him! Rescue dog now rescuing others.

Their Gear: Kilo has two Nomad harnesses and just ordered the Opportunity Harness for therapy dog work. He also has two service dog leashes with frog clips. All his gear is so well-made and durable! The adjustability of the leashes comes in so handy.

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